The San Diego Section held its second girls softball all-star game June 11 at San Diego State University. It followed on the heels of a highly successful — if not long overdue — inaugural event last year at UC San Diego.
Modeled after the boys’ baseball all-star game hosted by the Padres at Petco Park, the girls softball game featured a pre-game eight-person home run derby and a nine-inning game matching East versus West all-star teams.
Mater Dei Catholic coach Mike Centrullo coached the East team while Cathedral Catholic’s Joe Hallare coached the West team.
A total of 48 players were chosen to participate between the two teams, including 12 from South County schools.
Overall, nine South County schools had student-athletes represented on the rosters, up from seven local schools last year. Ten Metro student-athletes were selected to play in the inaugural game.
Interest thus continues to build for the event.
Batter up
Otay Ranch, Mater Dei Catholic, Bonita Vista, Olympian and San Ysidro high schools all contributed players to the East team while Sweetwater, Chula Vista, Mar Vista and Bayfront Charter contributed players to the West team.
Eight players from area schools were named to the East team: Nataly Lozano (Otay Ranch), Michelle Cervantes (Mater Dei Catholic), Alexis Jimenez (Bonita Vista), Isabel Cintron (Otay Ranch), Viviana Vargas (Otay Ranch), Michaella Salvatierra (Mater Dei Catholic), Gabriela Rodriguez (Olympian) and Victoria Figueroa (San Ysidro).
Four locals were selected to the West team: Turtle Padilla (Sweetwater), Sequoia Lewis (Chula Vista), Breanna Wilson (Mar Vista) and Illiana Romero (Bayfront Charter).
Lozano, Cintron and Vargas put the spotlight on San Diego Section Division I and Southern California Division III regional champion Otay Ranch while Cervantes and Salvatierra represented Open Division semifinalist and Southern California Division II regional finalist Mater Dei Catholic.
Lozano and Cintron keyed Otay Ranch with identical 0.361 hitting averages. Lozano notched 25 runs scored, 31 RBI, 11 doubles and six home runs while Cintron scored 25 runs with 13 RBI, 13 doubles and three triples.
Vargas hit 0.350 with 22 runs scored, 20 RBI and 14 doubles for the Lady Mustangs.
Salvatierra topped the Lady Crusaders with a torrid 0.475 hitting average in 28 games to go with 35 runs scored and 11 RBI while Cervantes batted 0.304 with 17 runs scored and 22 RBI.
Jimenez paced Bonita Vista with a 0.451 batting average to go with 19 runs scored, 23 RBI and four home runs.
Rodriguez led Olympian with a 0.464 hitting average with 11 runs scored, 28 RBI and four home runs. She appeared in 23 games in the pitching circle with a 9-8 record, 1.16 earned-run average and 121 strikeouts in 102.2 innings.
Figueroa keyed San Ysidro with a 0.472 batting average with 17 runs scored and 34 RBI. She finished 12-12 in the pitching circle with 197 strikeouts in 141 innings.
Padilla crushed a 0.507 hitting average to go with 17 runs scored, 30 RBI and two home runs.
Lewis hit 0.429 in 26 games with 20 runs scored for Chula Vista while Wilson batted 0.275 with 15 runs scored, 10 RBI and four home runs.
Romero led Bayfront Charter with an impressive 0.485 hitting average along with 27 runs scored and 15 RBI. She saw duty as a pitcher in 11 games with a 4-2 record and 33 strikeouts in 57.1 innings.
Other East squad selections included McKenna Gieger (Patrick Henry), Abigail Tripp (Rancho Bernardo), Alexis Huey (Poway), Mia Cascio (Rancho Bernardo), Sofia Mujica (Granite Hills), Ryleigh Rinker (Poway), Alanna Christiaens (El Capitan), Kamea Seunarine (Steele Canyon), Faith Balestreri (West Hills), Kendall Luna de la Fuente (Rancho Bernardo), Ashlee Sweet (San Pasqual), Kayla Menges (Poway), Allie Reese (Poway), Aubrey Thorne (El Capitan), Zarina Key (Classical Academy) and Kaitlin Surber (Poway).
Other West team selections included Sereniti Trice (Cathedral Catholic), Tiara Hill (Carlsbad), Caylene Nguyen (San Marcos), Gabby Moreno (Rancho Buena Vista), Samantha Garcia (Mission Hills), Alexa Brunetti (Del Norte), Maddy Egan (Point Loma), Layla Thiessen (La Costa Canyon), Ava Torre (Cathedral), Georgia Bilski (Torrey Pines), Kathryn McGinty (Torrey Pines), Jessica Phelps (Del Norte) Alex Riggs (Our Lady of Peace), Callie Christian (Mira Mesa), Olivia Anderson (Santa Fe Christian), Abby Huhn (Mission Hills), Hannah Waclawski (Mission Vista), Stefini Ma’ake (Our Lady of Peace), Leah Ridenour (University City), Shea Johnson (Cathedral).
Home run derby participants included Otay Ranch’s Lozano, Granite Hills’ Mujica, Patrick Henry’s Gieger, Rancho Bernardo’s Tripp, Our Lady’s Ma’ake, Del Norte’s Brunetti, Mission Hills’ Garcia and Santa Fe Christian’s Anderson.
Ma’ake dominated the home run derby with 83 points (24 home runs and 11 balls to the warning track in the preliminary round) and capped her victory in the event with 64 points in the final two-minute round.
Lozano finished second with a distant 21 points.
The East all-stars defeated the West all-stars, 10-7, in the ensuing game. Mater Dei Catholic’s Salvatierra led the East team with three hits while Rancho Bernardo’s Luna de la Fuente had two hits. San Marcos’ Nguyen collected two hits for the West team.
Poway’s Menges earned the game’s MVP award after pitching 4.1 innings for the victorious East team.
The game featured a pair of offensive spurts. The East scored seven runs in the fifth inning to break out in front 9-2 on the scoreboard while the West rallied for five runs in the bottom of the frame.
Around the horn
Fifteen South Bay teams qualified for this year’s section playoffs, including 10 Metro Conference teams and five small private schools. Four teams — Otay Ranch (Division I), Eastlake (Division II), Castle Park (Division V) and Chula Vista Learning Community Charter (Division V-AA) — reached the championship round while two teams (Mater Dei Catholic and Otay Ranch) advanced to Southern California regional championship games.
Mater Dei Catholic was the lone area team to qualify for the top-level Open Division playoffs. The third-seeded Lady Crusaders (29-6) topped sixth-seeded Rancho Bernardo, 6-2, in the opening round but dropped an ensuing 1-0 decision to No. 2 Del Norte in the second round.
Mater Dei Catholic eliminated seventh-seeded La Costa Canyon, 5-3, in a double-elimination contest to draw Del Note in a fourth-round rematch. The Lady Nighthawks won, 3-0, to halt the Lady Crusaders’ playoff march.
Freshman Arri Romero and Salvatierra each drove in a pair of runs in the win over Rancho Bernardo (15-11-1) while Romero collected three RBI in the win over LCC (21-10). Junior Analesse Garcia scattered four hits and struck out nine batters in the opening victory while Romero picked up the win over LCC with a one-hitter over six innings.
Bonita Vista and Otay Ranch received the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Division I bracket. Otay Ranch swept through with four consecutive victories to claim the division title while Bonita Vista (14-13-1) bowed out with consecutive losses to seventh-seeded Patrick Henry (7-4 setback) and sixth-seeded Mission Hills (5-2 setback).
The Lady Mustangs (20-12) defeated, in order, Mission Hills (9-5 victory), Patrick Henry (6-4 victory), Mission Hills again (6-4 victory) and fourth-seeded Steele Canyon (4-3 victory in the championship game).
Cintron (triple), Lozano (triple) and junior Kaylin Phillips (home run) each delivered two RBI in the opening win over Mission Hills while sophomore Victoria Resendez hurled a complete game victory with two earned runs.
Contreras and Lozano (home run) each had two RBI in the win over Patrick Henry while Phillips picked up the win in the pitching circle with 4.1 innings of shutout ball.
Senior Anaya Camacho (home run) and Lozano (double) each drove in three runs in the semifinal win over the Lady Grizzlies while Resendez posted another complete game effort.
In the championship game, sophomore Kalina Sangalang led the Lady Mustangs with two RBI while Lozano and senior Viviana Vargas each plated one run. Resendez (five strikeouts, two earned runs) and Phillips (two shutout innings) combined on a four-hitter.
Eastlake (No. 2 seed), Mar Vista (No. 11 seed) and Bayfront Charter (No. 12 seed) all gained entry into the Division II field.
Bayfront Charter defeated Warner, 3-1, in an elimination game to assume the No. 12 seed while Mar Vista defeated sixth-seeded San Pasqual, 10-7, to advance to the next round.
Bayfront Charter lost, 8-7, in 10 innings to fifth-seeded Calexico to fall short of advancing to the double-elimination round while third-seeded Christian dropped Mar Vista, 13-3, to a double-elimination game against 10th-seeded Mt. Carmel. The Imperial Beach team won 5-4 to draw a rematch against Christian, which the Lady Patriots won 6-5 to advance to a two-game semifinal series against Eastlake.
The Lady Titans (21-12) blanked Mt. Carmel, 4-0, to open double-elimination play to advance to meet Christian, handing the Lady Patriots a 7-2 defeat. But Christian’s win over Mar Vista advanced the Lady Pats to a rematch with Eastlake, which they claimed by a 5-2 score.
The Lady Titans won the double-elimination game, 7-4, to slide into the division championship game against top-seeded Imperial. The Lady Tigers proved too hot to handle, however, in an 11-2 title game victory.
Juniors Ryan Pham and Jaelene Jenkins each knocked in a pair of runs ss sophomore Addison Suriano pitched a complete-game three-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the shutout win over Mt. Carmel.
In the opening win in the three-game set against Christian, junior Mackenzie Olshenskie (two doubles) and sophomore Bryn Grayson each had two RBI while Suriano struck out seven batters in another compete game victory.
In the semifinal-clinching win over Christian, four Lady Titans each drove in one run: juniors Bri Ayap (triple) and Jenkins (triple) and sophomores Mia Vasquez (double) and Kaili Balajadia. Suriano notched five strikeouts and allowed three earned runs in a complete game outing.
Jenkins had two hits and two RBI in the division championship game while Ayap and Olshenskie each scored Eastlake’s only runs. The Lady Tigers countered with 14 hits, including four doubles and one triple in support of winning pitcher Jayden Rutledge.
Mar Vista (15-13-1) finished 2-2 with two losses to Christian (12-3 and 6-5) and wins over San Pasqual (10-7) and Mt. Carmel (5-4). Wilson (home run) drove in three runs in the win over San Pasqual while freshman Jaylene Salazar had two RBI. Senior Lilyana Guinto also hit a home run.
Junior Leilani Martin (two hits), Guinto (double) and sophomore Layla Cortez each had one RBI in the win over Mt. Carmel.
Bayfront Charter (14-10) defeated Westview, 3-1, in an elimination game behind two RBI by senior Lizette Vargas, who slammed a triple. Romero allowed one earned run in a complete game outing (five-hitter) to propel the Summit League champions (8-0 in league) into the single-elimination play-in round.
The Lady Sharks lost, 8-7, to Calexico in the play-in round, however, to miss entry into the double-elimination tournament.
Sweetwater received the No. 9 seed in the Division IV playoffs while San Ysidro clubbed Borrego Springs, 18-0, in an elimination game to grab the No. 12 seed. Chula Vista received the No. 3 seed and a bye to the double-elimination bracket.
Sweetwater ended its season with a 5-4 loss (n nine innings to eighth-seeded Classical Academy while fifth-seeded Bishop’s stopped San Ysidro, 5-2, from advancing to double-elimination play.
Senior Sophia Borruel had two RBI for SuHi (18-8) in the loss while junior Tatyana Mosqueda struck out six batters in 8.1 innings.
San Ysidro defeated Borrego Springs, 18-0, in an elimination game to grab the No. 12 seed. Bryanna Ortiz led the offensive onslaught with three RBI while four players each had two RBI: Ximena Ulloa (triple), Mary Ellen Valenzuela, Carla Padilla (double) and Maya Rodriguez. Victoria Figueroa pitched a one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in five innings.
However, the Lady Cougars (14-12) lost their next game, 5-4, to fifth-seeded Bishop’s. Padilla had both RBI for San Ysidro
Chula Vista lost, 2-1, in its playoff opener against 11th-seeded Maranatha Christian but then remained in contention with a 6-1 victory against second-seeded Morse. But another 2-1 setback to Maranatha Christian ended the 2024 season for the Lady Spartans(18-11).
Junior Mia Guzman had seven strikeouts in the first game against Maranatha. She scored three runs in the win over Morse with two hits, including a double.
Castle Park (No. 3 seed) and Southwest (No. 9 seed) both participated in the Division V bracket with a great deal of success.
Castle Park defeated sixth-seeded Kearny, 18-0, in its first game but came up short by a 13-3 score in its second game against second-seeded El Cajon Valley.
The Lady Trojans (13-16) defeated seventh-seeded Lincoln, 17-12, in a high-scoring double-elimination game to gain a rematch against El Cajon Valley. Castle Park prevailed in its second crack at the Lady Braves by a score of 4-3 to advance to the division championship game against top-seeded Francis Parker.
Francis Parker captured the Division V crown with a 10-2 victory.
Southwest (3-16) defeated eighth-seeded Mountain Empire, 28-11, in a play-in game but dropped an ensuing match-up against top-seeded Francis Parker by a score of 14-4. That pushed the Lady Raiders to a double-elimination game against fourth-seeded Crawford, which they won 24-12.
The win advanced Southwest to another double-elimination game, this time against fifth-seeded Orange Glen, which the Lady Patriots captured 13-12.
That left the Division V-AA championship to be decided. Four local teams were in the mix: Victory Christian Academy, San Diego Academy, Ocean View Christian Academy and CVLCC.
VCA (3-12) dropped a 40-10 encounter against Vincent Memorial Catholic in an elimination game for the No 8 seed.
No. 5 seed Ocean View Christian Academy dropped a 12-7 decision to fourth-seeded St. Joseph Academy but came back to stall No. 8 Vincent Memorial (3-8) in a double-elimination game. But the Lady Patriots (7-9) were themselves the victim of a 27-7 double-elimination loss to No. 1 (14-9) Bonsall as St. Joseph Academy instead went through to the championship game.
No. 6 San Diego Academy, based in National City, dropped a high-scoring 15-14 affair to third-seeded Julian. SDA (8-6) would later eliminate No. 7 Warner, 24-14, before ending its season by forfeit to Julian.
No. 2 seed CVLCC went through the bottom half of the bracket unscathed with consecutive wins against Warner (21-2 win), Julian (14-1 and 14-3 wins). The Lady Cobras (10-14) continued to ride the momentum to a 4-1 championship game victory over St. Joseph Academy (5-15) and the school’s first CIF softball banner.
Five players each scored three runs in the blowout win over Warner (1-14): junior BiBi Delgadillo, sophomore Olivia Zarate and freshmen Janeth Duran, Monserrat Rodriguez and Alana Olivas. Delgadillo and Zarate each stroked home runs.
Olivas, Delgadillo and sophomore Jaedyn Rios each scored three reruns in the 14-1 win over Julian while Rodriguez and junior Ashley Vallejo each scored two runs. Olivas had three hits, including a double, while Delgadillo doubled twice.
The Southern California regional playoffs featured five divisions with 10 San Diego Section teams entered.
No. 1 seed Otay Ranch defeated SD Section Division II champion Imperial, 7-3, for the Division III regional championship while No. 3 seed Etiwanda upended top-seeded Mater Dei Catholic for the Division II regional title.
Three San Diego Section teams claimed SoCal regional championships. No. 2 Oceanside (Division III SD Section champion) won the Division IV regional title with a rousing 15-4 win over No. 1 Garfield while No. 3 Coastal Academy (Division IV SD Section champion) shocked No. 1 Chatsworth, 11-6, for the Division V regional trophy.
No. 3 Del Norte advanced to the Division I regional final, dropping an 8-2 decision to No. 1 Murrieta Mesa.
